Category Archives: Uncategorised

Lavash belongs to Armenia

NOV. 27 2014 (The Conway Bulletin) – UNESCO, the United Nations’ cultural division, declared that lavash was a cultural icon belonging to Armenia. Lavash is a thin white bread used to wrap cheese, vegetable or meat. UNESCO’s Cultural Heritage List, compiled since 2008, appears to delight and infuriate nations in equal measure.

ENDS

(News report from Issue No. 211, published on Dec. 3 2014)

Kazakhstan’s Gold/FX reserves grow

DEC. 2 2014 (The Conway Bulletin) – Kazakhstan’s gold and foreign currency reserves have grown by 15.8% this year, media reported quoting the Central Bank’s press service. This war-chest is important because the Central Bank has said it is prepared to spend to defend the tenge currency against falling oil prices and a drop in the Russian rouble.

ENDS

(News report from Issue No. 211, published on Dec. 3 2014)

NATO keen on Georgia training centre

DEC. 2 2014 (The Conway Bulletin) – NATO re-affirmed it is looking to open a training centre in Georgia despite Russian threats. At a press conference, NATO director-general Jens Stoltenberg said: “No other third country can veto or try to stop partnership between NATO and a sovereign nation as Georgia.”

ENDS

(News report from Issue No. 211, published on Dec. 3 2014)

Ex-Georgian President charged again

NOV. 27 2014 (The Conway Bulletin) – Prosecutors in Georgia charged former president Mikheil Saakashvili with complicity in the murder of banker Sandro Girgvilani in 2006, media reported. Girgliani was killed after a row in a bar with interior ministry officials. Mr Saakashvili is living in self-imposed exile in New York.

ENDS

(News report from Issue No. 211, published on Dec. 3 2014)

Two men attack mosque in Azerbaijan

DEC. 1 2014 (The Conway Bulletin) – The Azerbaijani security forces arrested two men for setting fire to a mosque in a village in Azerbaijan. Media quoted the security forces describing the arson as an act of terrorism. It said that one of the men arrested had fought with Kurdish fighters in Syria.

ENDS

(News report from Issue No. 211, published on Dec. 3 2014)

Kyrgyzstan approaching EEU

DEC. 1 2014 (The Conway Bulletin) – Kyrgyz PM Djoomart Otorbayev said the country would sign treaties on Dec. 23 with Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan that effectively amount to an accession agreement to the Kremlin-led Eurasian Economic Union at the start of 2015. Armenia has already signed an accession deal.

ENDS

(News report from Issue No. 211, published on Dec. 3 2014)

Kazakhstan keen on shale gas?

DEC. 1 2014 (The Conway Bulletin) – Kazakh PM Karim Massimov said Kazakhstan wanted to develop shale gas sites, industry website shaleenergyinsider.com reported. The website quoted Mr Massimov talking at an energy conference. If Mr Massimov acts on his statement it would mark a change in Kazakhstan’s energy policy.

ENDS

(News report from Issue No. 211, published on Dec. 3 2014)

Turkmenistan held municipal elections

NOV. 26 2014 (The Conway Bulletin) – Turkmenistan held municipal elections on Nov. 23 which, according to a blog post on the US-fund Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty website, failed to generate much interest. The blog reported that although official turnout was 92.76%, it was difficult to find people who had voted.

ENDS

(News report from Issue No. 211, published on Dec. 3 2014)

Inflation rising in Tajikistan

NOV. 26 2014 (The Conway Bulletin) – Prices of basic food products are rising in Dushanbe, local media reported, because of a fall in the value of the Tajik somoni. Tajik news agency Asia-Plus reported that a bag of flour now sold at 175 somoni, up from 165 somoni a week earlier, and that vegetable oil cost 44 somoni up from 40 somoni.

ENDS

(News report from Issue No. 211, published on Dec. 3 2014)

Afghan President visits Azerbaijan

DEC. 2 2014 (The Conway Bulletin) – Afghanistan’s President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani travelled to Baku for talks with his Azerbaijani counterpart Ilham Aliyev on how the two countries can increase cooperation. Azerbaijan can, potentially, play a large role in shaping post-war Afghanistan.

ENDS

(News report from Issue No. 211, published on Dec. 3 2014)